حَوَتناhave engulfed us شُرورٌevils لاno صَلاحَremedy لِمِثلِهاfor their like
حَوَتنا شُرورٌ لا صَلاحَ لِمِثلِها
فَإِنso if شَذَّstands apart مِنّاamong us صالِحٌan upright person فَهوَthen he is نادِرُrare
فَإِن شَذَّ مِنّا صالِحٌ فَهوَ نادِرُ
Evils have engulfed us, with no remedy for their like;
Our souls are filled with evils beyond reform
so if an upright man stands apart among us, he is a rarity.
If one of us is righteous, such a one is rare
وَماand not فَسَدَتbecame corrupt أَخلاقُناour morals بِاِختِيارِناby our choice
وَما فَسَدَت أَخلاقُنا بِاِختِيارِنا
وَلَكِنbut rather بِأَمرٍthrough a circumstance سَبَّبَتهُbrought it about المَقادِرُthe decrees of fate
وَلَكِن بِأَمرٍ سَبَّبَتهُ المَقادِرُ
Our morals did not become corrupt by our own choice,
Our morals did not decay by our choice
but through a circumstance brought about by the decrees of fate.
But by a fate the divine decrees preordain
وَفيand in الأَصلِthe root غِشٌّdeceit وَالفُروعُand the branches تَوابِعٌdependents
وَفي الأَصلِ غِشٌّ وَالفُروعُ تَوابِعٌ
وَكَيفَand how وَفاءُfaithfulness النَجلِthe offspring وَالأَبُwhile the father غادِرُtreacherous
وَكَيفَ وَفاءُ النَجلِ وَالأَبُ غادِرُ
Deceit lies in the root, and the branches follow it;
The origin is cheating, branches conform
how can the offspring be faithful when the father is treacherous?
How can sons be loyal when fathers betray?
إِذاwhen اِعتَلَتِbecame infirm الأَفعالُthe verbs جاءَتcame forth عَليلَةًinfirm
إِذا اِعتَلَتِ الأَفعالُ جاءَت عَليلَةً
كَحالاتِهاlike their conditions أَسماؤُهاtheir nouns وَالمَصادِرُand the verbal nouns
كَحالاتِها أَسماؤُها وَالمَصادِرُ
When verbs grow infirm, infirm too become
When deeds are diseased, their names and motives show it
their nouns and verbal nouns, sharing their condition.
Tell the foolish raven, if hearing, it can change its color
فَقُلso say لِلغُرابِto the raven الجَونِblack إِنif كانَhe is سامِعاًable to hear
فَقُل لِلغُرابِ الجَونِ إِن كانَ سامِعاً
أَأَنتَare you عَلىof تَغيِيرِchanging لَونِكَyour color قادِرُcapable
أَأَنتَ عَلى تَغيِيرِ لَونِكَ قادِرُ
So say to the black raven, if he can hear:
Your generosity is unknown, your stinginess evident
Are you capable of changing your color?
Your glory gone, your body wasted and gaunt
سَماحُكَyour generosity مَجهولٌunknown وَنَحُلُكَand your giving (uncertain as written) واضِحٌplain
سَماحُكَ مَجهولٌ وَنَحُلُكَ واضِحٌ
وَمَجدُكَand your glory ضاويٌّscrawny وَجِسمُكَand your body حادِرُstout
وَمَجدُكَ ضاويٌّ وَجِسمُكَ حادِرُ
Your generosity is unknown, and your giving is plain;
O children of this age, though your forms are tall
and your glory is scrawny, while your body is stout.
In noble deeds, you fall shorter than all
بَنيO sons of العَصرِthe age إِنif كانَتare طُوالاًtall شُخوصُكُمyour figures
بَني العَصرِ إِن كانَت طُوالاً شُخوصُكُم
فَإِنَّكُمthen you are فيin المَكرُماتِnoble deeds حَيادِرُdwarfs
فَإِنَّكُم في المَكرُماتِ حَيادِرُ
Sons of this age, if your figures are tall,
Long ago, the den cried: where are the cubs?
then in noble deeds you are dwarfs.
The forest cried: where are the fierce lions?
وَمِنand from قَبلُbefore نادىcalled الوَكرُthe eyrie أَينَwhere اِبنُthe son of أَجدَلٍa falcon
وَمِن قَبلُ نادى الوَكرُ أَينَ اِبنُ أَجدَلٍ
أَوانيmade me his home وَقالَand said الغابُthe thicket أَينَwhere الخَوادِرُthe den-dwelling lions
أَواني وَقالَ الغابُ أَينَ الخَوادِرُ
And long ago the eyrie called: Where is the falcon's son
In every land, death sets its traps
who made his home in me? And the thicket said: Where are the den-dwelling lions?
Swearing no soul shall its grip escape
وَفيand in كُلِّevery أَرضٍland لِلمَنِيَّةِfor Death غائِلٌa destroyer
وَفي كُلِّ أَرضٍ لِلمَنِيَّةِ غائِلٌ
عَلَيهِbinding him يَمينٌan oath أَنَّهُthat he لاnot يُغادِرُleaves anyone behind
عَلَيهِ يَمينٌ أَنَّهُ لا يُغادِرُ
In every land Death has a destroyer,
A deer roamed where it had no place
bound by an oath to spare no one.
And wandered into the jaws of death
فَوادٍso a valley بِهِin it ظَبيٌa gazelle وَلَيسَand there are no لِنَفسِهِfor its life
فَوادٍ بِهِ ظَبيٌ وَلَيسَ لِنَفسِهِ
فَوادٍransomers وَتَردىand perish فيon ذُراهاits summits الفَوادِرُthe full-grown ibex
فَوادٍ وَتَردى في ذُراها الفَوادِرُ
So a valley holds a gazelle, but for its life there are no
ransomers; and on the earth's summits the full-grown ibex perish.
Partial English translation: 18 of 20 Arabic lines translated.